Minutes of the Parish Council meeting held on Thursday 15.03.12
in the Village Hall, Castle Combe
Cllr’s: F. Winup (Chairman)
A. Bishop (Vice Chairman)
Mrs J. Halliday
B. Harvey
J Mackelden
G. Ruggles
D. Ryall (Clerk)
P.C. Emma Higgins (part time)
4 Parishioners
1. Apologies for absence:
Cllr Taylor who for business reasons will not be able to regularly attend Council meetings. The meeting agreed that the Chairman should ask Cllr Taylor for a formal written resignation.
2. Declarations of interest:
There were no declarations of interest
3. Minutes of the meeting held on 19.01.12.
These were accepted as a true record and signed by the Chairman.
4. Matters Arising:
A. Area Board Meeting
Cllr Bishop and Cllr Ruggles attended the meeting held on 05.03.12. Cllr Bishop said the meeting over ran significantly and nothing was discussed which was relevant to the village.
B. Traffic Calming and Speed Checks
Cllr Bishop said the revised speed limit in Upper Combe would be advertised in the press in March and if there were no objections would be implemented in June/July
The Chairman said the 20mph speed limit recently introduced in Biddestone was part of a trial in seven villages and had minimal effect on the speed of cars through the village.
C. Parking Review
Cllr Winup said although there were more traffic wardens there had been no bookings in the past two months.
D. Neighbourhood Policing
The meeting was attended by PC Emma Higgins, Community Beat Manager, who explained that her team of three operated from Corsham Police Station were responsible to Inspector Scoroh and covered 32 rural villages. The team liaises with local community groups, neighbourhood watch, and the bobby van and travelled around with the mobile library giving advice. The popular crime at the moment is the theft of horse tack and locally straddle stones had been stolen from a house on Summer Lane. The Chairman thanked PC Higgins for her attendance and asked that she kept the Clerk informed of local criminal activity etc.
E. Cold Weather Plan
Cllr Bishop recommended that the large salt container was left in the museum yard until the Council was asked to move it. He confirmed that it could be moved across to the entrance to the ‘crippleshard’ bridle path if this becomes necessary. .
F. Tree replanting – Dunns Lane Car Park
The Clerk confirmed that the replacement trees had been planted.
G. Waste Collection
Mr Middleton said he had now received a reply from Cllr Scott, but his main concern was that fortnightly collections of household waste were unacceptable as it was unhygienic to keep household waste in plastic bags inside a house for two weeks or outside where it could be attacked by vermin. The Chairman said he and Cllr Bishop had attended the local area board meeting, a rural area villages meeting and the last village newsletter had contained an article asking villagers to identify any problems to the Council. There were no concerns raised at either of the meetings and to date no comments from the village. He agreed that this was early days and said it would be appropriate to review the position again in eight weeks time after more experience of the revised system had been obtained.
H. Village electricity Supply
The Chairman reported that Southern Electric have been contacted and do not consider there are major problems in the village. They commented that although some of the cabling is old it is of a better quality than that installed today.
I. Queens Jubilee
Cllr Bishop reported that he had reviewed the commemorative items offered on the various web sites and could not find anything suitable. If another bench was obtained the problem was where to put it with the playground being a possible option. Cllr Harvey reported that Whitegates intended to organise an event similar to the one arranged for the Royal Wedding and hoped the Council would be able to make a donation of £200 – 300. The meeting agreed that they supported this in principle and asked Cllr Harvey to obtain a formal proposal from the organisers.
J. Wilts Council – budget forum 30.01.12
The Chairman reported that he had attended this meeting which had a low turn out with the main attendees being unitary councillors. The most significant result was that turning off street lighting would save £0.5M per year.
K. Localism Act.
The Clerk reported that no dates have yet been received for the presentations to be arranged by Wiltshire Council
5. Finance- £
Income
Congregational Chapel – car park rent 5.00
Expenditure
The Councillors checked and reviewed and approved the following invoices:
Castle Combe Social Committee – donation 125.00
Southern Electric – quarterly bill 118.01
Cllr Winup – newsletter printing 24.20
Wilts Wood recycling – notice board 48.00
Cllr Winup – post spike 12.48
Wessex Water – ½ year bill 73.36
5A Chairman’s expenses
The meeting agreed that this should remain at £125.00 for 2012-13.
6. Correspondence.
A. Best Kept Village Competition
The meeting agreed to participate in the 2012 event
B. Wilts Council – Highways and Street Scene meeting 26.03.12
Cllr Bishop and the clerk agreed to attend
C. Marie Curie – request for a donation.
The meeting agreed to donate £20
D. Dorothy House – request for donation
The meeting agreed to donate £50
E. St John’s Ambulance – request for donation
The meeting agreed to donate £20
7. Planning applications
P.C. Approved:
The Old Post office – new front door
Meadowside UCC – fell 9 leylandii
Upper Combe Farm – remove silos, rebuild farm house wing
P.C. Under Consideration:
Nil
P.C. Rejected:
Nil
Wilts Council Granted:
Hill house – fell ash
Cleeve House – fell thuija
Combe house – tree surgery 9 chestnut trees
Hans Farm – tree surgery 1 oak & 1 yew
Wilts Council Rejected:
Nil
8. Unitary Councillor
No comments received
9. Playing Field and Circuit Reports
Cllr Mackelden said the Colts continued to do well and that there were no problems.
He said he had attended a Circuit meeting with Cllr Winup at which the village hall was allocated the July car boot gate duty and considerable time spent discussing the JAPFEST meeting. The Chairman said he was attending a meeting with the JAPFEST organisers, Wilts Council Highways, the Police and the Circuit Management to discuss improvement in traffic management into the circuit and inconsiderate driving on the public highway. He would be representing a number of local Parish Councils
10. Play Areas Report
Cllr Halliday said Flourish and Bloom had tidied up the flower bed at the lower play area. She had received a quote from Wilts recycling of £195 to replace the rotten wood on the lower play area climbing frame. The Chairman asked her to obtain a second quote. Mr Middleton said due to business commitments he would be unable to cut the grass in the play area and that the mower probably needed replacing.
11. Highways Report
Cllr Bishop said the hill had been swept and the gullies cleaned out.
12. The Village Environment
The clerk said that Mr Cooke had moved to another job and that Kristian Price was again responsible for Castle Combe with Leanne Starr the first point of contact. He said he had redirected the list of work prepared by Cllr Ruggles to Leanne Starr and Kristian Price and been told that the majority of pot holes had been filled, the hedge cut near the bus shelter and the gullies cleared. The clerk said he would continue to progress the rest of the work.
13. Whitegates
Cllr Harvey said the pavements and gutters have not yet been cleaned.
14. The Village Hall
The Chairman said Cllr Bishop had agreed to be the new Chairman. He said he was waiting for a quote for the double glazing from Mr. Brookman before he could apply for a grant.
15 Wiltshire Core Strategy
Cllr Winup said he had attended a very good presentation on this subject on 7th March at which it became clear that Castle Combe was not included as it is a small village with no development being permitted except under exceptional circumstances which would need Parish Council support. This is to protect communities of special character. He said the core strategy has significant opposition from some of the towns and large villages particularly in the south of the County where development is proposed
16. Date of Next Meeting
This was confirmed as Thursday 17th May 2012 at 7.00 p.m. in the Village Hall for the Annual Parish Meeting followed by the Parish A.G.M.